Travelling behind the bound bird I progress slowly towards the mountains. The shadowbird makes no effort to escape after I revealed my sadistic urges towards it. I previously placed the severed piece of it's leg in my bag in case it could be restored, I did not necessarily want to injure the bird but it attacked me first. While we travel I tied the rope around my waist and treat the cut on my arm. The cut was not deep but the flesh around it has begun swelling. I pull another vial out of my bag, this one filled with a red liquid and pour it on my cut. The wound initially burns, but the potion increases the regeneration rate by ten times and causes the cut to begin closing up.

'Hmmm what do birds like to eat?' I grab a chunk of bread and throw it in front of the bird.

"There you go little buddy, bread tastes a lot better than I do."

I absent mindedly follow the bird as I pull out the last volume of the book to read. 'Soon I will finish this book and get whatever reward this crystal holds.'

I tug on the rope to get the bird's attention.

"Do you have a name?!" I call out for a way to address the bird, though it doesn't seem to talk so I'm not sure that it does.

"Kaahh" The bird calls out to me but I don't know if it knows what I'm talking about.

"Ehh, you don't have a name? How about I make one for you… let's go with cooth (I couldn't think of name so I asked maddy). Cooth the shadow crow."

"Kahh!" Cooth calls back at me, but I'm not sure whether they are happy or angry.

We travel for about two hours without rest, Cooth didn't seem to mind, except that they had to put in extra effort to readjust their balance.

Nearing the foot of the mountains I ask Cooth where the nests are. Cooth shakes his head but still continues leading me along the base of the mountains.

After a few minutes we arrive in front of a large cavern entrance.

"Are the rest of the shadowbirds in here?"

Cooth nod's their head, so I follow them. 'I guess they can understand me.'

I throw another chunk of bread to Cooth as they have been working hard for me.

'Isn't it a tad strange for birds to be living inside a cave?'

Cooth leads me through the complex cave system, we seem to be going progressively higher.

Passing through many forks we arrive in a wide room near at the side of the mountain. Many medium to small sized holes dot the wall and provide natural lighting during the day. In the center of the room is a large wooden round table, seated at this table are six much smaller shadowbirds, only reaching around five feet in height, and Maddy.

"Uhh, hello?" I awkwardly greet the odd ensemble as I untie Cooth and myself.

I turn towards Maddy, looking her over to make sure she is fine as the bird nearest to me stands up from their seat.

'Hmmm these ones seem a lot more civil than Cooth.'

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"Greetings human, we have been expecting your arrival." The shadowbird brings their arm to their stomach, bending at the waist to bow to me in greeting.

"Ahh, yeah." I nod my head slightly towards the talking birdman. 'This is pretty surreal to be honest.'

"Jordan! Look at all my birds~!" Maddy calls out excitedly with a bright smile on her face.

'It's a good thing she is happy, but what does she mean her birds?'

"Yeah they are pretty neat, but I was pretty surprise when Cooth first appeared and tried to kill me."

"Cooth? Ah you mean this one here, yes I apologize about that. Only a few of us have human level intelligence, the trade of is that our physique is much smaller."

"Hmmm? That's pretty strange isn't it? Such a large mutation isn't natural."

"Ahh, well that is because we aren't natural creatures. Every creature in this valley has been artificially created by the magic scientists who worked underground. The scientists disappeared after a while so we had the stronger shadowbirds bring back any human they saw in case the scientists came back."

"I see, so you were all experiments then? That is pretty unbelievable, but I guess it makes sense based on how strange every creature in the valley is. Plus if you are experiments that means there might be a way to artificially heal Cooth in the lab."

"Yes that may be so, we can't read so we weren't able to make heads or tails of any of the research material underground, but if you could help us that would be most pleasing. Your friend told us you come from another place so it's possible that is where the scientists disappeared to."

"Well I will try my best to help, it would be easiest if you flew the two of us back to the lab, I left all the books there."

"Noo~ I want to stay with all the birds." Maddy makes a sad face at me, but I refuse to cave on the subject.

"Nope, we need to return to the lab if we want to help them right?"

Maddy reluctantly agrees and the birds agree to fly us back. I urge Cooth to come with us as well so I can repair their leg if possible.

We exit from one of the upper holes, Maddy and I carried by two larger birds, while the smaller ones could only manage to fly themselves. One bird held me by my shoulders while I used my hands to read, holding my staff with my feet so I could see. Then finally I finish the book.

*Ding* <>

_____

Learn the secrets of magic under Great Wizard Malek

Rank: Unknown

Rewards: Unknown

Accept all tasks given to you by Malek and achieve a certain mastery in the use of the arcane arts.

*COMPLETE*

Malek has given you a special crystal to activate now that you have finished the books. Crystal unable to be opened without full understanding of the nature of magic.